Last updated: May 17th, 2024
This page has the comparisons between Nixon vs Carter across all the metrics we track. President Nixon and President Carter data are no longer in office. Their data has been set to be as equivalent by days in office to make a fair comparison of their performance. This accounts for presidents that had one term vs two terms, or presidents that had a much shortened term.
With respect to cumulative performance, Richard Nixon has performed better on 2 out of the 5 metrics we track. President Nixon's highest performance difference was on the indicator Job Growth performing 0.40% better than President Carter. President Nixon's lowest performance difference was on NASDAQ Index performing -106.64% worse than President Carter.
We highly recommend you read this article as well prior: What's the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
How does Nixon compare to Carter in the stock market? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized performance between Nixon and Carter in the stock market. Cumulatively across the S&P 500, Nixon is at -20.05% compared to Carter at 29.39% a difference of -49.44%. On the NASDAQ, Nixon is at N/A compared to Carter at 106.64% a difference of N/A. Finally, on the DOW Jones, Nixon is at -16.10% compared to Carter at 0.24% a difference of -16.34%.
| Index Cumulative Performance | Richard Nixon | Jimmy Carter | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | N/A | 106.64% | N/A |
| DOW | -16.10% | 0.24% | Nixon -16.34% |
| S&P | -20.05% | 29.39% | Nixon -49.44% |
| Index Annualized Performance | Richard Nixon | Jimmy Carter | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ | N/A | 19.88% | N/A |
| DOW | -3.11% | 0.06% | Nixon -3.17% |
| S&P | -3.95% | 6.65% | Nixon -10.60% |
How does Nixon compare to Carter with respect to GDP Growth? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized GDP growth. Cumulatively Nixon is at 14.59% compared to Carter at 14.27% a difference of 0.32%
| GDP | Richard Nixon | Jimmy Carter | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 14.59% | 14.27% | Nixon +0.32% |
| Annualized | 2.53% | 3.43% | Nixon -0.90% |
How does Nixon compare to Carter in non-farm payroll? We share the facts on cumulative and annualized jobs created. Cumulatively Nixon is at 13.22% compared to Carter at 12.82% a difference of 0.40%
| Indicator Cumulative Gain/Loss | Richard Nixon | Jimmy Carter | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumulative | 13.22% | 12.82% | Nixon +0.40% |
| Annualized | 2.27% | 3.10% | Nixon -0.83% |
We capture the data as soon as it’s available to us – stock market data after daily market close, jobs data once a month and GDP data once a quarter. After verifying the raw data, we then calculate updated cumulative and annualized performance data for the current president (the data for previous presidents have been calculated and verified in advance).
Some metrics are measured daily (like stock market performance), monthly (like jobs growth) and quarterly (like GDP growth). We start measurement of performance for a president from the first full time period after their inauguration. For stock market performance, it is the first stock market day in office. For jobs growth, it’s either first full calendar month in office (so if you are inaugurated in the middle of January, the first full month is February). This ensures a consistent starting point across all presidencies.
Also, read these articles in our Learning Center:
- What is the difference between cumulative and annualized performance?
- What’s the best way to interpret the facts and data on Facts First?
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